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Community Water System · PWS WI6270244

Black River Falls Waterworks

Black River Falls, Wisconsin 54615 - drinking water served from groundwater sources to 3,608 people, tracked in EPA SDWIS and UCMR5.

3,608
People served
45
EPA violations
19
Health-based
1 PFAS
UCMR5 result

The verdict

EPA records 45 drinking-water violations at Black River Falls Waterworks, 42% of them health-based - above the Wisconsin per-system average, and UCMR5 testing detected 1 PFAS compound.

45
Total EPA violations on record
42%
Health-based (MCL / treatment failure)
3,608
People served by this system
1
PFAS compounds detected (UCMR5)

Water Quality Snapshot: Black River Falls Waterworks

Black River Falls Waterworks is a local-owned community water system that delivers drinking water to 3,608 residents in Black River Falls, Wisconsin (Jackson County) through 1,650 service connections. Its water is drawn from groundwater sources. EPA's Safe Drinking Water Information System records 45 total violations for this system , of which 19 (42%) are health-based, meaning a contaminant exceeded an EPA Maximum Contaminant Level or a required treatment technique failed. A further 22 monitoring and reporting violations are on file. The most recent violation on record dates to 2024.

The most frequently cited contaminant at this system is Coliform (TCR), recorded in 18 violations (MCL, health-based). Under EPA's UCMR5 PFAS monitoring program, 1 PFAS compound was detected in samples collected from this system, with a maximum reported concentration of 6.8 ppt (parts per trillion). PFAS are persistent synthetic chemicals linked to health effects at very low exposure levels.

Across Wisconsin, EPA tracks 10,988 public water systems serving 5,131,439 people, with 285,161 cumulative violations and 58,688 health-based violations on record. About 72% of systems in the state carry at least one violation, and state-wide the average per system is 26 violations. Statewide, 78 of 202 UCMR5-tested systems have reported PFAS detections (38.6%).

Black River Falls Waterworks's 45 violations sit above the Wisconsin average.

All figures above are sourced directly from EPA SDWIS and UCMR5 public data releases and are updated as EPA publishes new reporting cycles.

PFAS Detected

1 PFAS "forever chemicals" detected in testing under EPA's UCMR5 monitoring program.

Population Served
3,608
Total Violations
45
Health-Based Violations
19
Water Source
Groundwater

System Details

System Type
Community
Owner Type
Local
Connections
1,650
County
Jackson
School/Daycare
No
MCL Violations
18
Monitoring Violations
22
Treatment Tech Violations
1

Violation History

Contaminant violations recorded by EPA.

Contaminant Category Count Latest
Coliform (TCR) MCL 18 1995
Coliform (TCR) MR 8 2012
Revised Total Coliform Rule MON 8 2024
Chlorine MR 4 2012
Consumer Confidence Rule Other 2 2004
Lead and Copper Rule MR 2 1992
LEAD AND COPPER RULE REVISIONS TT 1 2024
Public Notice Other 1 2024

PFAS Testing Results (UCMR5)

Results from EPA's Fifth Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule. 2 of 232 samples detected PFAS.

Contaminant Date Result MRL Status
NMeFOSAA 7/24/2023 <6.00 ppt 6.00 ppt Not Detected
8:2 FTS 7/24/2023 <5.00 ppt 5.00 ppt Not Detected
PFMPA 7/24/2023 <4.00 ppt 4.00 ppt Not Detected
PFPeA 7/24/2023 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFMBA 7/24/2023 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
NFDHA 7/24/2023 <20.00 ppt 20.00 ppt Not Detected
PFHpS 7/24/2023 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFTA 7/24/2023 <8.00 ppt 8.00 ppt Not Detected
NEtFOSAA 7/24/2023 <5.00 ppt 5.00 ppt Not Detected
4:2 FTS 7/24/2023 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFEESA 7/24/2023 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFTrDA 7/24/2023 <7.00 ppt 7.00 ppt Not Detected
PFOS 7/24/2023 <4.00 ppt 4.00 ppt Not Detected
PFPeS 7/24/2023 <4.00 ppt 4.00 ppt Not Detected
6:2 FTS 7/24/2023 <5.00 ppt 5.00 ppt Not Detected
PFBS 7/24/2023 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFHpA 7/24/2023 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFNA 7/24/2023 <4.00 ppt 4.00 ppt Not Detected
PFOA 7/24/2023 <4.00 ppt 4.00 ppt Not Detected
PFDA 7/24/2023 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFDoA 7/24/2023 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
ADONA 7/24/2023 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFBA 7/24/2023 6.80 ppt 5.00 ppt Detected
PFHxS 7/24/2023 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
HFPO-DA 7/24/2023 <5.00 ppt 5.00 ppt Not Detected
PFHxA 7/24/2023 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
9Cl-PF3ONS 7/24/2023 <2.00 ppt 2.00 ppt Not Detected
11Cl-PF3OUdS 7/24/2023 <5.00 ppt 5.00 ppt Not Detected
PFUnA 7/24/2023 <2.00 ppt 2.00 ppt Not Detected
PFTrDA 7/24/2023 <7.00 ppt 7.00 ppt Not Detected
PFDA 7/24/2023 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFNA 7/24/2023 <4.00 ppt 4.00 ppt Not Detected
PFHxS 7/24/2023 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFHpA 7/24/2023 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFBS 7/24/2023 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFHpS 7/24/2023 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFPeS 7/24/2023 <4.00 ppt 4.00 ppt Not Detected
NFDHA 7/24/2023 <20.00 ppt 20.00 ppt Not Detected
PFDoA 7/24/2023 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
NMeFOSAA 7/24/2023 <6.00 ppt 6.00 ppt Not Detected
NEtFOSAA 7/24/2023 <5.00 ppt 5.00 ppt Not Detected
PFOS 7/24/2023 <4.00 ppt 4.00 ppt Not Detected
PFOA 7/24/2023 <4.00 ppt 4.00 ppt Not Detected
PFEESA 7/24/2023 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
8:2 FTS 7/24/2023 <5.00 ppt 5.00 ppt Not Detected
PFHxA 7/24/2023 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFTA 7/24/2023 <8.00 ppt 8.00 ppt Not Detected
PFPeA 7/24/2023 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFMBA 7/24/2023 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFMPA 7/24/2023 <4.00 ppt 4.00 ppt Not Detected

Verify This Water System

The figures above are aggregated from EPA's public databases. To verify the underlying records, or to file a complaint, request a Consumer Confidence Report, or check current monitoring status, go directly to the federal and state regulators that enforce the Safe Drinking Water Act for Black River Falls Waterworks.

Federal Source of Truth

EPA SDWIS, Federal Reports

EPA's Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS) holds the federal compliance record for every regulated public water system. Open the system-level report by PWS ID:

View PWS ID WI6270244 on SDWIS

Source: EPA SDWIS Federal Reports Search

State Regulator

Wisconsin Drinking Water Authority

Wisconsin DNR, Drinking Water and Groundwater is the primacy agency that licenses and inspects Black River Falls Waterworks under EPA-delegated authority.

Open WI regulator portal

Source: Wisconsin DNR, Drinking Water and Groundwater

Violation Timeline

Each row links to the EPA SDWIS public record for verification. Cross-reference the contaminant code on EPA's federal report to see violation dates, return-to-compliance status, and enforcement actions.

Year (latest) Contaminant Category Count EPA Record
2024 Revised Total Coliform Rule MON 8 SDWIS / WI6270244 / 8000
2024 LEAD AND COPPER RULE REVISIONS TT 1 SDWIS / WI6270244 / 5200
2024 Public Notice Other 1 SDWIS / WI6270244 / 7500
2012 Coliform (TCR) MR 8 SDWIS / WI6270244 / 3100
2012 Chlorine MR 4 SDWIS / WI6270244 / 0999
2004 Consumer Confidence Rule Other 2 SDWIS / WI6270244 / 7000
1995 Coliform (TCR) MCL 18 SDWIS / WI6270244 / 3100
1992 Lead and Copper Rule MR 2 SDWIS / WI6270244 / 5000

How Black River Falls Waterworks Compares

Cross-reference this system's record against state averages and the federal MCL framework for context.

Metric Black River Falls Waterworks Wisconsin avg Federal benchmark
Total violations 45 26 SDWA compliance, any non-zero count is a recorded breach
Health-based violations 19 5.3 Indicates a contaminant exceeded a federal MCL
PFAS detection 1 compound 38.6% EPA final rule (2024): PFOA/PFOS MCL = 4.0 ppt
Population served 3,608 467 Sizing context for compliance burden

Sources: EPA SDWIS and EPA National Primary Drinking Water Regulations (40 CFR Part 141). State averages computed across 10,988 regulated public water systems in Wisconsin.

Federal MCL reference, Safe Drinking Water Act thresholds
Contaminant Federal MCL / Action Level Note
Lead 0 mg/L (Action Level: 0.015 mg/L) Lead and Copper Rule treatment technique
Arsenic 0.010 mg/L (10 ppb) Health-based MCL since 2006
Total Coliform Treatment technique (RTCR) Indicator organism, monitoring trigger
PFOA / PFOS (PFAS) 4.0 ppt each (final 2024 rule) Compliance deadline 2029 (EPA proposed extending to 2031, not yet final as of May 2026)
Nitrate (as N) 10 mg/L Acute health risk for infants

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Black River Falls Waterworks water safe to drink?
Black River Falls Waterworks (PWS ID: WI6270244) has 45 recorded violations in the EPA SDWIS database. PFAS contamination has been detected in UCMR5 testing, with 1 PFAS compound found. This system serves 3,608 people using Groundwater sources.
How many people does Black River Falls Waterworks serve?
Black River Falls Waterworks serves 3,608 people in Black River Falls, Wisconsin. It is a Local-owned system using Groundwater water sources with 1,650 service connections.
What type of violations does Black River Falls Waterworks have?
Black River Falls Waterworks has 45 total violations: 19 health-based violations (MCL exceedances or treatment failures), 22 monitoring/reporting violations, and 1 treatment technique violations. Health-based violations indicate contaminant levels exceeded EPA safe limits.
Has PFAS been detected in Black River Falls Waterworks water?
Yes. UCMR5 testing detected 1 PFAS compound in Black River Falls Waterworks's water supply: PFBA. PFAS are persistent "forever chemicals" that do not break down in the environment.
What water source does Black River Falls Waterworks use?
Black River Falls Waterworks uses Groundwater as its primary water source. It is classified as a Community Water System (CWS), serving residential populations year-round.
Where does this data come from?
All data comes from the EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS) and the UCMR5 PFAS monitoring program. SDWIS tracks compliance for all public water systems regulated under the Safe Drinking Water Act.
Data Sources: EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS), Q4 2025. PFAS data from EPA UCMR5 monitoring program (2023-2025). This data is provided for informational purposes only.
Data sourced from EPA SDWIS and UCMR5 PFAS monitoring data. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainWater Editorial

Every figure on PlainWater is rendered directly from EPA SDWIS drinking-water data, no number is typed in by an editor. This system's figures are rendered directly from EPA SDWIS data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.